Pneumatic transmission



J, W. STRUCK. PNEUMATIC TRANSMISSION.

f-.PPLlcMloN mm JAN.5.1920.

Patented en, 6, H2L

all

l lll limiti Mw-...ma

\ peeincation et i .application gradually 'deliverinlgr the power troni a norn mally active element, the primar-yor drive shaft, to a passive element, the secondary or driven shalt.

ln the majiority ol power transmissions now in use', serious injury is often caused to `the transmission mechanism through shoclr coincident with. throwing in the clutch, in tact the principal function ot the soLcalled friction drive to reduce such shock and prevent strippinpn oit transmission. gears when the "driven sha-ht suddenly energized. l.accordinp; to the pir-osent invfrnm tion this shoclr will loe positively eliminated although the more etlicient gear-'transmis'- sion is used, and. not only 1will possible etripping ot the gears be prevented, hut undue weer aiul strain on the clutch and. transmission mechantan;r will loe reduced to a minimum. Y

A. prominent feature of the invention is the utilization oi air pressure in eilectinpj the actuation ot the clutch elenient--the gradual increase ot' such air pressure caus" ing: a tgradual deliverance ot power 'from the eranlr or power shaft to the driven eliaitt. lln accomplishing this end a niernher et the drive element has associated therewith a drive gear which is internieslled with a plurality ot driven gears in the clutch elenient yeach of which is 'eeeentrically con neoted with one et a plurality olf ypistons operating; in cylinders communicating with compression retorts or chambers in a casting or traine keyed to the driven shaft and rotatable therewith, so that as the interval et reciprocatior1 ot the pistons is increased due to `increasingr air pressure in .the oylin ders and retorts or chambers .rotation ot the casting; and consequently olj"th(-r` driven l shaitavi-ll `loe etl'ected' until a-complete de livery Aoat-i power troni ther crank sha/lt to.

the driven 4shaft is aceonnilished Wlien'the air pressure reachee a inanimate; at ivhieh.

tiled lannary .l

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patented llllee., tl, ieao. seran :tra :naaf-ir time the pistons no longer reciprocate hat rigidly hind the driven gears against inde pendent rotation.

lurtheri'nore the invention is applicable to incorporation with any type ot power and driven mechanism, although it is parn ticularly adaliitahle tor use in. connection .vith inotor driven vehicles where re finementin operation and maximum etliciencyV are necessitated.

'.lhe invention still `further provides :tor improved ineens t'or relieving the air presl'iettcre Illa-tent ysore in the compression rctorts in order to' release the clutch and .sever operative conm nection between the'povver and driven elements.

lhe improvement in the details' and ar rangements of parte will be apparent tirera an inspection ot the accompanying draw-- ings, in connection with the s peeiiie dieecription hereinafter contained, and Wherein the preferred embodiment ot the invention. is disclosed tor the purpose of inripain;- ingr-a itull understanding; oit the ln the dra finge.: Y

sectional eide elev tien oit A s entirety.

Fig.' 2 is vieiv on the line 2-2 ol ll-lig.,

L and l lli@ 3 4isa view on the line 3-5 et `l Referring new niorev particularly tothe several ligures oit the said drawing1 and in connection with which like .relier-ence nuinerals will rei-'er to cdrrespondinin parte, there is provided, a eranlcshalt dy-Wheel l (the crank-shaft not heine; shown) to which is rigidly secured through the niediuni of holte 2 a beveled drive-gear 3, provided with a medial bore et Within which journaled the terminal end of the driven shaft 5; said drivenshaft lacing retained in place hy a lock not and Washer G housed Within a recess 7 termed in the driven rear as illustrated.' flislthe driven shatt- 5 is :treely movable in the here fl independent rotation of the tly-vv-lieel and drive gear is per noitted.`

rll`he clutch element ot, the transmission in general terms includes a. castingor integral 'trarne having` a hody portion 8 and a reduced extension 9 provided with an enlarged end or head l0. rlhe body portion is formed to provide cylinders ll and an air compres sion chamber or retort 12 communicating 'lll gli

tot

llltl llt) therewith, While 'formed coincident with the longitudinal axis ot.the body portion, thel u tirate-d. lt inulerstood that these members will oe taken up in detail as the description proceeds.

The enlarged end or bead-ltl 'of' the reduced extension 9 is disposed adjacent the drive gear 2') and has formed thereon a plu.- rality of radially extending bosses 15 centrail bored and screw-threadet'l to receive the pins 16 carrying suitable bushings 17 and upon which are monnted'tor rotation beveled gears 1S each mesl'iing with the drive-gear 3; the arrangen'ient ot' sin'hgears being similar, within certain limitations. to that of the usual planetary gears (see lFig. 2). Secured by countersnnli screws or bolts 'lll to the outer faces oi' each of the gears 1S and mounted also upon the pins lt are eccen-n Atries 2t) having depending tlanges 21 seat d in recesses in the tace oi the gears i8; aid eccentrics being engaged by straps on the. piston rods 22S ot' the pistons Q4, suitable bushings being also provided between the. straps and eccentrics lor an 0bvious purpose. llat'es 26 snperposed upon the eecentrics 2u prevent displacement and provith a. bearing surface therefor, while heads won the pins 1G complete an operative assembly.

The cylinders ll which have inlet and ontlet ports 28 and 29 respectively, formed therein are cast en bloc in the body portion ,8 o the casting or frame as above stated and are disposed axially about the driven shaft 5 to receive the pistons 2.5i. Carried rearwardly of the cylinders. and comn'innicating therewith through outlet ports 29 is the air compression chamber 1 r retort 12 the, side 'wall 3) o1" which has spaced annular flanges 3l and provided with bpenings for receiving the Shanks 33 ot' air-inlet valves 34 of the inlet ports'. toil springs 35 on the Shanks 33 have their terminals abut-ting the flange 3l and collars il@ on the valve shanks 33 respectively to hold the valves normally in a closed position. To preventthe ingress ol extraneous matter such as sand or dirt through the inlet valve Qt a strip ot' sereening 37 is n'ionnteiil to engage the lange El and adj attent portion oit' the cylinder walls l1 and extends completely around the ci sting tranne to torina. guard as is clearly illustrated. i l liig,

The air compression chamber or retort l2, which .in cast integrally with the cylinders ll., extends eonnilet' y alniut thedriven shaft and. beneinzh th i linder as at 38 and has termed in the end walls opposite the eylinder outlet, ports :2Q screw threaded openings 59 for tliereception oi'-wilve housing 40.

Said valve housings 4t) are provided with longitudinal openings -ll lor the reception ol Shanks l2 oi' the. valves lil. and the end alls olE the openings ll are recessed as at wld. 'for receiving coil springs ll5 on the shank 42. Collars flt on the shanlis i2 t'orm an abutment t'or the coil springs l5 whereinto normally hold the valves lil in a -closng position. relative the evlinder outlet ports Ztl.

From the foregoing it will be seen that upon the suction stroke ot' the pistons 2l' the inlet valves 3l will be raised against the tension of the coil springs 2&5 admitting air to the cylinders ll.y which will be forced through the outlet ports 2E) into the compression chamber or retort' 12 against the presv sure of the coil springs t5 ol' the cylinder outlet valves 43. lAs no automatic relief 'or pressure operated exhaust valve is provided in the air-compression chamber or retort 12 the air-pressure in the retort 12 will increase. (,onsequently the interval olt reciprocation ofthe piston 2l will be lengthened until the pressure reaches a maximum when the valves 43 will be forced to a closing position with respect to the ports 2f) and further movevnient ot' the pistons will beI impossible.

In order to relieve the air-pressure when desired an exhaust port 4T is formed in the air-compression retort. which communicates with an annular chamber 48 between the driven-shaft 5 and the casing or frame` and within which is received a sleeve-valve 49 loosely mounted on the driven-shalt 5 and provided with a longitudinal groove. 5() for registration with the exhaust port 47, Yfor an obvious purpose. The outer end of the sleevefalve 4S) is formed with flanges 5l adapted for operative connection with an operating lever or pedal (not shown) for moving the sleeve-valve on the driven shaft 5 to open or close the exhaust port 4T when desired. i

lnclosing` the clutch and power elements is a housing formed in two sections 52 and 53 between which is bolted as at 54 a parti tioning member 55 for separating the ily wheel l from the clutch elements`v it being pointed out that theclutch elements are necessarily flooded with oil. The housing member 53 extends Slightly over the edges of the cylinder portion '11 of the casting or frame and is provided with vscrew-threads for receiving an annular collar 5G. Between the casting' and adjacent portion ol the. housing member suitable packing may be placed for preventing the egress ot lubricunts from the clutch elements.

n operation upon starting theA engine or other source ot power the gears 1S are rotated by the drive-gear 3 and consequently the pistons 24 are reciprocated in the c vlind rs ll through the action of the eccentrics 2U; no motion however is imparted to the casting or driven-shaft 5 until the air presiis eine casting end driven-sluwe eeee'ee en, nel

eeen-eee reeehes its maximum, Wheeenpen elle *venin/ee' l0:

43 me forced te 'eeee ehe penne endl ehe pxstens cease en eempeeeem eeneeqneney son with the power nr'eennk sheen. When Us is desired to throw enit the @luizen the eleeve waive e9 smlnened (ne open the enheneit penn;

M' dans decreasing' 1the elle pressure end pee mitting ehe pistons en eeeipenenee end; censeuen'tly allowing the geen; 18e@ :venete wien 1t e dewe gems 3; Wheeenpnn ehe casting er .femme end the deiven-ehefe 5 will cease te rotante end ne power will be deveeed 15mm the crank, mpwer shaft 113e ehe deinen Sharm AS the increeee end decrease ef ein preesure is gradual :it isebvene einen nl shock enineiden; Wien throwing in ehe 4sienten is eiminuted end else than; nnne weer and Semin en the operating meehensm is 1educed 1bn e minimum.

Meniesttly, the eonsnmeenn Shown is en pnbe e1? eensdeee'be'nzndfieneien andi enen nmdieeeion ne is 'within ehe scope of: my eein'a, consider Within ehe spinne mi my nwentien., L

When 11e elnlmed ie:

drive member kening; el benelwgene 'wien nnlnw'ehenh :fined Haenen@ e diven senin eeenmnle in seid. hneln.; e/eeeei'ng benin n Huid ennnber end, e 556m e'mmlnnpn'seing@i midi.'

driven eheln4 end provided with en enlieegee en need xed en seid sheet, eppeeedseneleh e `cenni-ien by seid heed, bevel gemierofme ne nn seid stub shnfes und' fneshingg wien l' 'A geen cemiedl by the drive Ime'nlbel, eceennr xed m seid stub shaft genes, cylinders een 'fied by sind casting and enen .Taming en en# heuse velve opening inte seid Huid ehnnebee end e, velved inlet opening; inte ehe emmen Y phere, pistons: reepmcnble in sind @dinde pinnen connecting seid eeeenneies endl p, tene, end en nuelelt opening in ene well ee. saidu'i chamber, end e mnnnely mpeeeeie jvnlvefnr cent1-@Ming the discharge nrengn seid epenng. a In teemmony whereof, einen my elgnneniee heren).

einen nf. 

